Why Some Parents "Lobotomize" Their Children
With more and more cases of children with behavioral problems, there’s no surprise that prescription use for youngsters is on the rise. Specifically, powerful antipsychotics are being prescribed more and more.
But, these brain-tweaking pills aren’t being recommended by psychiatrists, but by pediatricians.
More than that, these pills don't mess around. Some experts have even referred to them like a chemical lobotomy (lobotomy: a banned medical procedure that can make people vegetative).
Parents just don't know what these pills can really do.
You Want to Give My Kid Schizophrenia Pills?
The antipsychotic drugs Abilify and Risperdal are generally used to treat psychiatric conditions like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other serious adult behavioral issues.
However, doctors who are not psychiatrists are prescribing these medications for an off-label usage: treating ADHD and other behavioral problems.
Off-label drugs are medications intended for one purpose but used for another. The dosage or form can also be different to be off-label. Off-label drug usage is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There has not been enough research showing effectiveness for this kind of 'side-effect' use.
Nonetheless, doctors are allowed to prescribe these off-label drugs, and they don't even have to tell a patient that it is off-label.
Add on top of that how these antipsychotics are being prescribed by non-specialists and you have a formula for serious long-term harm.
According to Researcher Dr. Mark Olfson, one of the Columbia University Medical Center’s professors of clinical psychiatry, a majority of antipsychotic drugs being given to children are actually for off label purposes and not for the treatment of actual psychotic conditions.
What Antipsychotics Really Do
Usually, psychiatric drugs are prescribed to a child when they have a legitimate psychological problem. That usually means psychotherapy, seeing a specialized counselor, should go hand-in-hand.
However, since non-psychiatrists are prescribing these drugs, children are not receiving the psychotherapy they may need.
Here's the big question: are these off-label drugs doing more harm than good for kids with problems like ADHD?
Antipsychotics can rapidly improve behavioral problems in children, but there haven’t been any studies on the long term effect on their still-developing brains.
Antipsychotic drugs work by altering the frontal lobes of the brain. The same part of the brain targeted by a lobotomy. Sure, these drugs rapidly reduce bad behavior. But, that's because they reduce all behavior.
In addition, these drugs come with serious side effects: diabetes, heart problems and weight gain.
Worst of all, there are some uncertain effects that many doctors fear. These problems can include cognitive, social and physical development problems.
What does it mean for the next generation of Americans? The full cognitive effect of these drugs may not be known until these children have reached full development. For sure, they may be at an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes and obesity, all of which could be potentially fatal.
In the meantime, parents who have children with ADHD or other behavioral problems should always ask about the medication that their doctor is prescribing. Always.
If it's an antipsychotic, see a psychiatrist first to ensure your child is getting the proper physical and mental care.
A second opinion could save your child's future.
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